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Sioux Falls Storm announce coaching staff for 2018 season

Shannon Poppinga has been named an assistant coach on the Sioux Falls Storm. In addition, coaches Brian Hermanson, Paul Keizer, Jared Fredenburg, Cory Johnsen, Blake Wilson and Terrance Bryant have been retained for the 2018 season.

Sioux Falls Storm announce coaching staff for 2018 season

Shannon Poppinga has been named an assistant coach on the Sioux Falls Storm. In addition, coaches Brian Hermanson, Paul Keizer, Jared Fredenburg, Cory Johnsen, Blake Wilson and Terrance Bryant have been retained for the 2018 season.

“We are very fortunate to compile a staff that has been together over many years,” head coach Kurtiss Riggs said. “Our staff knows the high expectations of being a member of the Sioux Falls Storm and I can think of no better group to help get us to our goal.”

Poppinga will be entering his first season with the Sioux Falls Storm as the defensive backs coach. In 2014, he was an assistant coach at Pierre High School where they won the state title and he was named Assistant Football Coach of the Year by the South Dakota Coaches Association. Poppinga is now the Defensive Coordinator for O’Gorman High School’s football program. He played nine seasons for the Storm from 2001-2009. Poppinga led the team in interceptions three of those seasons (2005, 2006 and 2008) and is also third all-time in tackles for the Storm.

Bryant will return for his fourth season as quarterbacks coach. During his six-year career with the Storm, Bryant led the Sioux Falls Storm to four straight championships in 2005-08, along with a 40-game winning streak. He is a two-time United Bowl MVP (2006 and 2013) and the UIF League MVP in 2006. In 2007, Bryant earned a UIF Conference All-Star selection. Bryant became the first player inducted into the IFL Hall of Fame in 2014.

Hermanson will be returning for his seventh season as the Defensive Coordinator. He’s coached at two Sioux Falls high schools; Roosevelt and Washington High School. Under Hermanson's leadership, Washington played in the 11AA State Championship title three consecutive years. He was recognized by South Dakota State University as the 2013 recipient of the Ralph Ginn Award for Coaching Excellence. Hermanson is also the the Linebackers Coach for Augustana University.

Keizer is returning for his eighth season as the Offensive Line Coach. Keizer, a former two-time UIF Western Conference All-Star, played for Sioux Falls in 2007 and 2008. During Keizer's career, the Storm allowed only 18 sacks on 836 passing attempts. In 2007 with Keizer anchoring the Storm’s offensive line, the line set a team record in rushing yards and total points.

Fredenburg returns for his fourth season as the Storm’s Linebackers Coach. He started his coaching career at Roosevelt High School in 2002 and helped coach the Rough Riders to back-to-back state titles in 2006-07 and again in 2011. He is now the Head Coach for Lincoln High School.

Johnsen will be entering his third season as the Defensive Line Coach. He came to the Sioux Falls Storm in 2006 and served as Nose Tackle for eight championship seasons. During Cory's 10-year playing career with the Storm, he has numerous All-League honors. Johnsen is the Storm's all-time sack leader, tied for second for career tackles for loss, tied for first for career forced fumbles, ranks fourth for career blocked kicks. Cory was inducted into the Indoor Football League’s Hall of Fame in 2017.

Wilson enters his fourth season as the Wide Receivers/Special Teams Coach. During his final two years at Southwest Minnesota State University, he tallied over 1,700 receiving yards and scored 24 touchdowns. He was named to the Daktronics All-Region team as a wide receiver and was also a two-time NSIC All-Conference performer as both a wide receiver and a return specialist. Wilson was a member of the Storm’s wide receiver corps from 2011-2014.